Monday, January 4, 2010

TWO of Queensland's biggest construction firms have been drawn into a legal battle involving allegations of commercial espionage, fraud and embezzlement of more than $500,000.

Devine Industries Pty Ltd is suing the former personal assistant of founding director David Devine in the Supreme Court for $570,000.

Mr Devine accuses Gissel Alves of leaking corporate secrets to the Queensland head of Leighton Properties, with whom he alleges she shared an "intimate personal relationship".

Last month Mr Devine lodged an affidavit accusing his secretary of more than 10 years of embezzling money by altering cheques and making fraudulent claims for travel, accommodation and other expenses.

Mr Devine also claimed in the court documents that Leighton Properties state manager Andrew Borger was the recipient of hundreds of emails from Ms Alves undermining him and the company. "During the course of their relationship, Ms Alves had sent a large number of emails to Mr Borger disclosing, and attaching, highly confidential information and documents," his affidavit claimed.

Prior to starting ComSec LLC in 2007, Mr. LeaSure was active within the counterespionage, counterterrorism and TSCM fields for 26 years. He has attained the prestigious CCISM, Certified Counterespionage Information Security Management Certification. He also has extensive training, knowledge and experience in the identification of eavesdropping devices, espionage detection methods and the intelligence collection tactics most often employed by perpetrators of electronic espionage.

J.D. LeaSure is also the Director of the Espionage Research Institute International (ERII). As Director, he is tasked with ensuring the organization is successful in its mission to provide continuing education, facilitate professional relationship building and ensure the counterespionage & counterintelligence skill sets of its membership remains current as espionage tactics and devices evolve.